Shaman's Crossing, Book One of the Soldier Son Trilogy

Hugo and Nebula Award finalist Robin Hobb crafts intricate fantasy tales featuring larger-than-life characters and exotic landscapes. Nevare Burvelle was born to be a soldier in the Gernian army. But as Nevare's career takes off, his worldview alters considerably. Corruption and nepotism reign, and now Nevare questions his own ideals, wondering why he continues fighting for the empire.

Epic. Need I say more?

Another rousing series by epic fantasy writer, Robin Hobb. And when I say epic, I mean epic. She crafts a fully-integrated world, with not one, but tw..Show More »o fully-realized peoples, cultures, histories, magics, and mythologies, and touches briefly enough on a third to give readers a glimpse into the swirling depths of the mind of a creative genius. She takes the reader/listener on a terrific and, occasionally, terrifying journey, and the intensity of it will take your breath away. Occasionally a bit of a slow read, it nevertheless is a rich piece of storytelling. The narration is beautifully done, with a few exceptions - places where the voices are inconsistent with the emotions described, etc. Nevertheless, John Keating does a magnificent job with giving each character a distinct voice, his own voice melodic in the telling of this fantastic tale.

Just as a caution: Read/listen to these books in order. It is a trilogy, and while it is, in theory, possible to read and understand them as separate entities, you would lose the massive arching story and many of the subplots and foreshadowings that are present right from the first page through the last (yes, quite literally. Mz. Hobb is, in fact, a genius when it comes to wrapping stories back around to their beginnings). Shaman's Crossing/Forest Mage/Renegade Magic, for those curious. Happy reading!

Shaman's Crossing: The Soldier Son Trilogy, Book 1

Young Nevare Burvelle is the second son of a second son. Traditionally in Gernia, the firstborn son is heir to the family fortunes, the second son bears a sword and the third son is consecrated to the priesthood. Nevare will follow his father – newly made a lord by the King – into the cavalry; to the frontier and thence to an advantageous marriage, to carry on the Burvelle name. It is a golden future, and Nevare looks forward to it with relish.

Slow start but then a great book

Not as great as the farseer trilogy but still really a nice story! The reader is excellent and i will keep listening to the second book!

Forest Mage: Book Two of the Soldier Son Trilogy

Nevare Burvelle has survived major combat and is making a quick recovery from a disease plaguing his fellows in the King's army. He also believes he is free from the Speck magic that held him under its sway. Now traveling home to rendezvous with his fiancée, Nevare suffers haunting visions and soon realizes that malicious magic still resides within him - and is intent on destroying everything he holds dear.

I really wanted to like this series.

I really wanted to like this series. The setting is awesome. There is a wonderful political landscape, a fairly original system for magic, and interes..Show More »ting peoples. The problem is that the individual characters are mind numbingly dull and painfully lacking in intelligence.

The main character of the novel is so amazingly un-dynamic that you wonder if he has any memory for the past events of the books. Three-fourths of the the way through the second book, we have watched him go through a vast number of experiences and been forced to tediously read his moaning and self-reflections on them, and then he repeats the same verbal responses, preforms the same actions, and gets the same results. We are told by other characters that he is smart and fit to go out on his own to explore and be a "Scout," but all the evidence we witness makes me wonder how anyone could reach that conclusion. Honestly, the book would be much improved if it randomly ended with, "And he fell in a hole and died. The End."

The other major issue is Hobb's inability to get to the point. I can't decide if Hobb wants us to see Burvelle as an idiot, or if she thinks the readers are so stupid as to need the same point to be retold to us 10 different ways. I guess it's one way to fill up space.

I journeyed with Nevare Burvelle because I wanted to see more of the world he inhabits, but seeing his world through his eyes while listening to his inner monologue is far to painful to continue into another book.

All of that said, the narration gives this tedious work some life. I'll be looking for other books read by Keating.

Forest Mage: The Soldier Son Trilogy, Book 2

The second book in the brand-new trilogy from the author of the Tawny Man trilogy, following on from the best-selling Shaman’s Crossing. The King's Cavalla Academy has been ravaged by the Speck plague. The disease has decimated the ranks of both cadets and instructors, and even the survivors remain sickly. Many have been forced to relinquish their military ambitions and return to their families to face lives of dependency and disappointment. As the Academy infirmary empties, Cadet Nevare Burvelle also prepares to journey home, to attend his brother Rosse's wedding.

Renegade's Magic: Book Three of the Soldier Son Trilogy

Robin Hobb's thrilling Soldier Son trilogy comes to its conclusion in Renegade's Magic. Nevare Burvelle stands accused of a host of heinous crimes, including murder. And he remains under the thrall of the Speck magic that twists his psyche into a ruthless alter-ego. But all is not lost. Perhaps if he asserts control of this other self, he will emerge transformed and triumphant.

Ugh! Finally Finished!!!

This book was as bad as waiting in the doctor's office. It just kept going, and going and going, and I kept wondering when my misery would finally end..Show More ». I kept thinking to myself that this was from Robin Hobb and that I had loved her other books so it had to get better. It didn't. If you've already wasted money on it, play it at 1.5 or 1.25 speed to lessen the time of your misery.

Renegade's Magic: The Soldier Son Trilogy, Book 3

The people of Getty's town remember the death of their cemetery soldier vividly. They remember believing him guilty of unspeakable crimes, condemning him, and then watching as other men of his unit beat him until he no longer drew breath. But Nevare Burvelle didn't die that day, though everyone believes they saw it happen. He was cornered by a power far more intractable than an angry mob.